ROBBIE SAVAGE has thrown his hat into the ring, Ryan Giggs may return, there is talk of a Simon Davies comeback.

Since Brian Flynn was announced as caretaker Wales boss, we’ve had the talk of the oldies returning for next month’s games against Bulgaria and Switzerland.

Regular readers of this column will know no-one would like to see Giggs back in the red of his country more than yours truly.

Davies I’m ambivalent about, Savage would be a ridiculous backward step and we should cut that one at source.

But irrespective of what you, I or TV pundits think about the old guard bolstering the Welsh squad, the only person whose opinion counts is that of Flynn.

And my guess is that the more likely scenario is Flynn going the other way... by making the Wales team even younger for the must-win clash with the Bulgars on October 8.

Three players from John Toshack’s starting line-up against Montenegro appear vulnerable. Steve Morison, David Edwards and David Vaughan.

Into their places could come three talented youngsters who Flynn has nurtured through the U21s – Simon Church, Andy King and Swansea City starlet Allen.

Flynn, more than anyone I have known in football, including Toshack, adopts the cliche that if you’re good enough, you are old enough.

And that trio are surely better than the options we saw in Podgorica as Wales calamitously lost 1-0.

To be fair to Morison, who performed the thankless lone centre-forward role, the jury has to be out on him.

But what we can say for certain is that Church gave Wales a different dimension when he came on as a substitute that night and he has shone brightly as a striker under Flynn with the U21s.

Does he put in consistent 90-minute performances? Not yet, but he is an intelligent player, makes clever runs, scores goals, has presence and has displayed in the past something of a telepathic understanding with Aaron Ramsey.

Whether it is for Bulgaria, or further down the line in this Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, it is only a matter of time before Church becomes Wales’ first-choice striker.

With regards King and Allen, it’s a far more pressing issue for Wales because, despite their tender ages, there is an argument for saying they are already better players than Edwards and Vaughan.

Personally, I believe Toshack always had something of a blind spot towards those two and you could even argue it eventually cost him his job.

Edwards, Vaughan and Joe Ledley were part of an anonymous Welsh midfield who were completely over-run, over-stretched, out-thought and out-fought in Montenegro.

I will cut lots of slack to Ledley because he has had some very good games for Wales, and against decent opposition too.

Flynn likes the power and drive Ledley can bring to the Welsh midfield so expect the Celtic man to retain his place for next month’s game at his former Cardiff City Stadium stamping ground.

But King, who started the season with a bang for Leicester, should have started in Montenegro ahead of Edwards, who has barely played a match for Wolves.

Edwards’ lack of match sharpness showed out there and although he has signed a new deal at Molineux, there is an argument for saying King is the superior player anyway.

Like Edwards, he is always liable to get beyond defenders and pop up with a goal. King underlined his growing reputation further – and his sizzling early season form – by scoring twice for Leicester in Tuesday night’s win over Cardiff City.

Toshack’s hands were tied over Vaughan, somewhat, because of those well-documented injuries to Ramsey and Jack Collison and lack of midfield personnel to pick from.

Vaughan is neat and tidy on the ball, qualities Toshack looks for first in a player, and he is doing OK for Blackpool in the Premier League.

But there are many who question whether he is too lightweight for the rough and tumble of international midfield battle.

Can he grasp a game by the scruff of its’ neck and put Wales on the front foot by controlling the engine room at the highest level? There is no real evidence of that to date in matches that matter, but Flynn might believe young Allen is capable of succeeding.

Allen is only 20, has just come back from a bad injury and isn’t the biggest of footballers.

But don’t let his size fool you. He tackles like a tiger, is comfortable on the ball and just looks the archetypal modern day midfielder.

He is certainly the best home-grown player the Swans have had for many a moon.

For the record, Flynn gave Allen 10 caps at U17 level, four at U19s and a further 12 in his U21 team. Thus, he knows his qualities and style of play better than anyone.

As such, don’t be surprised if Flynn decides Allen and King can give the Welsh midfield more bite and energy than Vaughan and Edwards offered last time out.

Those two still have a role to play for Wales. But come the England game next March, and whoever is in charge, I expect the Wales midfield pecking order to be as follows.

Ramsey, Collison, Ledley, Allen, King, Edwards, Vaughan.

And if Giggs and Davies wish to put their names into the equation, too, the more the merrier.